The Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition – April 14, 2006 Alzheimer’s disease, the most representative form of dementia, is a condition in which the brain gradually shrinks. As it progresses, one may even lose the ability to recognize their own reflection in the mirror. Let us introduce a film that takes up this theme: The Notebook  (2004, USA). An 80-year-old man reads a book aloud to his wife, who has lost her memory. It’s a poignant love story from the distant past. In the 194

The Chunichi Shimbun Morning Edition, April 7, 2006 “A sound mind in a sound body.” This well-known phrase, often attributed to Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, actually comes from a line in an ancient Roman poem. However, the reality is that even those with healthy bodies can suffer from mental illness. And when the mind is afflicted, the body often shows signs of distress as well. Simply strengthening the body does not guarantee mental wel

Interweaving past and present, Night Train to Lisbon  unfolds like an intimate interview, gently uncovering truths long buried in the depths of history. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Lisbon’s scenic streets, this poetic film delicately portrays the lives of its characters. Raimund Gregorius (Jeremy Irons), a Swiss professor, saves a woman attempting to jump from a bridge during his morning commute. After the incident, he comes across a book she left behind. Deeply

On August 11, 2014, at the age of 63, Robin Williams passed away suddenly in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. He was one of my favorite actors. His bold, high-energy, machine-gun-like talk reminded me of the brilliant rakugo performer Shijaku Katsura. He was a peerless magician of words. Known for his superb improvisation, impersonations, and voice acting, he played a wide range of roles—from a DJ in Good Morning, Vietnam , to a cross-dressing father in Mrs. Doubtfir

This is a memorable film depicting intellectual disability. Works such as I Am Sam  (2001, USA)—in which Sam, a middle-aged man with the mental capacity of a seven-year-old working at Starbucks, lives happily with his daughter Lucy, born to a homeless woman—and What's Eating Gilbert Grape  (1993, USA)—where a young man with intellectual disabilities played by Leonardo DiCaprio climbs a smokestack in a small Iowa town, attracting the whole town's attention while his mother sta

In an aging society where one in two people die of cancer, many eventually face the need to prepare for death—so-called “end-of-life planning.” Once dementia sets in, this becomes difficult. As economic hardship deepens with prolonged recession, poverty spreads, and crime steadily increases. Alain, a middle-aged man who has just served a year and a half in prison for drug trafficking, moves in with his estranged mother, Yvette. She quietly accepts him despite their strained r